The World Series of Life

In life no one's a benchwarmer, and other key lessons from baseball.

Once a year, October magic, a.k.a. the World Series,
takes center stage across the United States and the entire country focuses on the American national pastime, Major League Baseball. Even nominal
fans take interest in who will win.

Like most American kids, I grew up with sports as a
major part of my life. And I still enjoy a good game every now and then. But I've
often thought, does it really matter how far a young athlete can use a wooden stick to hit a 95 mile an hour fastball thrown at him? Is it really meaningful if my team wins?

People sometimes live vicariously through their teams.
If my team wins the championship, I won the
championship. Perhaps we 'worship' our heroes on the sporting fields
because it is somehow our way of achieving greatness.

In our own lives, we often settle for mediocrity.
We don't think of ourselves as living heroic lives, nor do we often aspire for true greatness. So we subconsciously live out 'greatness' through our heroes
in the sporting world.

What a mistake. We can all be heroes, each of
us in our own way. We all have a personal World Series
to be won, and we are all in the game -- no one is a benchwarmer.

A few lessons can be gleaned from baseball for the
World Series of Life:

1. Take a few pitches
In order to succeed at just about anything, we need to
get a good view of what we are facing. We can't just
swing away without a clear vision of what the
challenges are. We need to get a good look at the
options and only then decide to hit. We need to
deliberate and reflect before acting.

We shouldn't be hasty when we making decision. First
slow down and scrutinize all the aspects before choosing.

2. Don't get caught looking
On the other hand, it is possible to be too deliberate
and, as a result, let opportunities slip by. In order to succeed, we have to plan appropriately, but at a certain point, we must give it a shot and swing for the fences. As our sages tell us, "Do not allow good deeds to leaven; if the opportunity to fulfill a mitzvah comes to your hand, do it immediately."

3. Prepare for the possibility of a curveball
If we're too inflexible, if we're expecting only a high fastball, we
could easily strike out if the pitcher throws a curve. We are not prophets,
we have no idea what will happen to us that is beyond our control.
And if something happens that changes the course of our lives, we have to be willing to adapt. We can't be set in our vision.

Moses taught us this well when he smashed the divine tablets that
God had given him to give to the Jewish people, after he witnessed the worshipping of the golden calf. He had worked extremely hard to receive
those tablets and he viewed them as a crowning accomplishment. Yet, he
changed course when he saw it was necessary.

4. Stretch a single into a double
There are times when we succeed, but with a little more effort,
we can go even further. We finish a short study session and start relaxing when really we could try to study a bit more.

The story of the Talmudic sage, Rabbi Akiva, comes to mind. He started studying Torah at age 40 and became the Torah leader of the entire Jewish nation. Many of us would have been happy just to learn how to read the prayers in Hebrew but Rabbi Akiva wouldn't stop at first base. He went on to hit many thousands of home runs.

"Every person is fit to be as righteous as Moses, our
Teacher" (Maimonides, Laws of Repentance 5:2).

God doesn't expect everyone to perform superhuman
feats as Moses did, but He does anticipate that all
people reach their own personal potentials.

If we live our lives properly and maximize our personal potential,
we can be as righteous as Moses.

We all have a World Series to win. In fact, it's always a Game 7 and our team
is down by a run in the bottom of the ninth with the bases loaded and two outs.

"A person should always view himself as if he is equally balanced -- half culpable and half worthy. If he does one mitzvah, one meritorious deed, he is fortunate, for he has tilted the scale for himself toward good. If he commits one transgression, woe to him, for he has tilted the scale for himself toward evil...

Further, a person should always view the world as if it is equally balanced, half culpable and half worthy. The world is judged based on the majority. If an individual does one mitzvah, he tilts the global scale toward good. If he transgresses, the global scale is moved toward evil" (Babylonian Talmud, Kiddushin 40b).

There are many lessons we can learn from baseball. Care to offer a few more in the Reader's Comments?

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About the Author

Rabbi Boruch Leff is a vice-principal at Torah Institute in Baltimore. "Are You Growing?" (Feldheim), his just released book, is a must read if you want to grow spiritually. Click here for info on the book.

The opinions expressed in the comment section are the personal views of the commenters. Comments are moderated, so please keep it civil.

Visitor Comments: 11

(11)
Baruch,
November 25, 2012 7:48 PM

Another lesson

Batting .300 is considered hitting excellence. Imagine that! You fail 70% of the time but you are considered among the elite players in the game. We certainly don't have to bat 1.000 in the game of life, but striving to succeed 8 or 9 out of ten mitzvah opportunities is certainly a gold standard. We all have to face curveballs and even a knuckleball from time to time. Emphasizing our achievements will bring more happiness than dwelling on our failures.

(10)
Davidthe"Bagel",
October 31, 2006 3:30 PM

baseball and torah analogies....

Very nice article, Rabbi Leff. I very much enjoy your writing. To continue in the theme of this article, one idea that can also be discussed is the importance of working as a team instead of just individually. Championships are won by teams, not individual players. So too, more mitzvos can be done when you help someone else. For example: joining a minyan vs. davening alone. etc...

Another thing I would maybe add to it is that even when mistakes are made ("strikes" or "outs"), there is still the possibility for redemption ("hits" and "runs"); ie: Teshuva. We were given the ability and opportunity to do teshuva for our mistaken or misguided actions.

Oh, one more analogy. Even though sports teams have set season schedules, the better players tend to work out all year round to stay in top shape. They often perform at very high levels during the season because they are always trying to improve. So too, the Torah requires us to "stay in shape" all year round. By being diligent in this regard every single day, we can improve ourselves considerably. Hey, you could make this into a good Drasha for Rosh Hashana/Yom Kippur!

(9)
Anonymous,
October 30, 2006 1:24 PM

Baseball and Torah

As a fellow fan, I enjoyed your piece. Midrashim based on baseball are endless in possibilities. As Torah is Life, and baseball is life, Baseball is Torah! This is so, as athletic excellence requires not merely the physical, but also the mental and the spiritual acting harmoniously. This is proven by the phenomenon in sports of momentum in a game, which is a function of the spiritual state of the players as individuals and as a team. I am reminded of the Ten Spies. They broke down in the pennant race and did not get to the playoffs. So, football and basketball season is ahead of us....

(8)
Dave,
October 30, 2006 12:57 PM

Even When You Strike Out. . .

You need to get ready for your next at bat. We are allowed to make mistakes and shouldn't be too hard on ourselves. We can and will redeem our failures with successes.

(7)
MaddyMalek,
October 29, 2006 4:40 PM

Great article

Rabbi Leff always knows how to catch my eye with his informative and interesting articles.Thanks for sharing those thoughts with the readers. Keep up the good work!

(6)
Malca,
October 29, 2006 4:13 PM

Great

I agree with every word.

(5)
Phyllis,
October 29, 2006 2:56 PM

Home run!

As a lifelong baseball fan and an observant Jew, I got a smile from this article - and a few life lessons too.

(4)
Janet,
October 29, 2006 1:07 PM

cheer for your team

Say encouraging words. Be happy for someone else's success and boost them up when they need it. And be a good sport. It's not ultmately about winning or losing but about how you play the game.

(3)
Anonymous,
October 29, 2006 1:00 PM

batting .300

Batting .300 is pretty good in baseball. That means you mess up 7 times out of 10, and even those 3 times out of 10 don't have to be a homerun to count. Opportunities arise. We do what we can. Sometimes it's good. Sometimes maybe it doesn't seem so good. But it's okay. HaShem is watching our reactions to the strikeouts and He'll give us another chance at bat. All we can do is walk up to the plate and try to hit the ball with all the gifts we've been given.And in the field --- we try to catch the ball and field it properly. We encourage our teammates. They encourage us. Sometimes we mess up. Sometimes we succeed. But we keep playing. We're in the game and we know the rules.

(2)
LeeRaubvogel,
October 29, 2006 12:37 PM

Play ball......

1) The Hall of Fame position player fails about 70% of the time while at bat. (You will not always succeed, or at least not all of the time.)2) Sometimes you have to wait your turn. (You may enter the game later, or have a different role to play.)3) You don't have to hit the ball 700 feet. 400 feet is enough! (Don't try to overachieve. Don't over do it!)4) Sometimes you need to be able to rely on other people in order to succeed. (There is no "I" in the word team. Success can be had with the help of others.)5) You need to get to first base before you can get to any other base. (Sometimes you have to do some things in a particular way in order to be successful.)6) Take the pitcher out to save his stuff for his next appearance. (You have to keep the right pace, and not wear yourself out.)7) The guy who hits 500 home runs still has to take out the trash when he gets home. (So does the Rabbi!) .....I think I'll stop here!

(1)
GretchenSerota,M.D.,
October 29, 2006 11:20 AM

Superb analogy!!

It is fine to use sports figures (or actors, or musicians or scientists - to name a few) as a inspiration to strive for personal greatness. Role models, even if we don't personally know them, can have a positive influence on our lives. However, it is an increasingly common mistake to use the accomplishments of our heroes as a surrogate for individual effort. Perhaps this, in part, is a consequence of commercialism. I doubt that everyone who wears a Harvard or Yale t-shirt has actually studied there, or even knows some one that has.

I was born with a neuromuscular disease known as Spinal Muscular Atrophy and have been confined to a wheelchair my entire life. Unfortunately my sister and I were raised without any religious instruction or guidance. My father wasn't Jewish and although my mother is, she openly claims to be an atheist. The "good news" is that both my sister and myself - independent of each other and at different times in our lives - realized that we are Jewish and chose to live a Jewish life.

Because of my disability, I'm not always able to attend services on Shabbat, but I always light candles, pray from a Siddur and read the weekly Torah portion. I would like to know whether, considering my situation, if using a computer is allowed during the Sabbath? I found the complete Bible online and since my computer is voice-activated I don't have to struggle to turn pages or continuously ask for assistance.

Thank you to everyone at Aish.com for making it possible for myself and so many others to learn about being Jewish and grow in the most important part of our lives.

The Aish Rabbi Replies:

Thank you so much for your encouraging words and for sharing your inspiring story.

God gives each of us a set of challenges. To those more capable of conquering difficulties, He gave bigger challenges. A challenge from God is a sign that He cares about us and has confidence in our ability to become great.

It sounds like you're doing great!

As for using the computer on Shabbat, that is prohibited. A foundation of Judaism is that we need to respect God's wishes, even if we think that doing otherwise is "for a good reason." Consider this story:

A king calls in his trusted minister and says: "I have an important mission for you to perform. Go to the neighboring kingdom and meet in the palace with their leaders. But remember one thing - under no circumstances must you remove your shirt during this meeting. Now go and do as I say."

The minister sets off on his merry way and soon arrives at the neighboring kingdom. There he heads straight for the palace where he meets with the King. In the midst of their discussion, he sees some of the king's officers pointing and laughing at him.

"Why are you laughing?" asks the visiting minister.

"Because we've never seen someone with such a pronounced hunchback as yourself," they say.

"What are you talking about? I'm not a hunchback!"

"Of course you are!"

"No I'm not!"

"We'll bet you one million dollars that you are!"

"Fine - I'll gladly take your bet."

"Okay, so take off your shirt and prove it."

At which point the minister remembers the parting words of the king... "under no circumstances must you remove your shirt during the meeting." Yet, the minister reasons, a million dollars would certainly bring added wealth to the king's coffers. I know I'm not a hunchback, so I'll surely win the bet. Of course, under these circumstances the king would approve...

The minister removes his shirt and proudly displays his perfect posture. With pride in his achievement, he holds out his hand, into which is placed a check for one million dollars.

The minister can barely contain his excitement. He quickly ends the meeting and runs back to give the wonderful news to his king. "I earned you a million dollars!" exclaims the minister. "It was easy. I only had to remove my shirt to prove that I wasn't a hunchback."

"You did what?!" shouts the king. "But I told you specifically not to remove your shirt. I trusted that you'd follow instructions, and so I bet the other king $10 million dollars that he couldn't get you to remove your shirt!"

The Torah tells us "Do not add or subtract from the mitzvahs." (Deut. 4:2) Jewish law is a precise metaphysical science. Consider a great work of art. Would you consider adding a few notes to a Bach fugue, or some brushstrokes to a Rembrandt portrait?!

Perfection, by definition, cannot be improved upon. Altering Torah law is an unacceptable implication that God is lacking.

The verse in Psalms 19:8 declares: "Torat Hashem Temimah" - the Torah of God is complete. For just as adding one wire to a transistor radio means it no longer can pick up reception, so too we mustn't tinker with Jewish law. The mitzvahs of God are perfect.

May the Almighty give you strength to continue your growth in Judaism.

In 1315, King Louis X of France called back the Jews who had been expelled a few decades earlier by King Louis IX. This marked a theme in Jewish-French life: expulsions and subsequent invitations to return. The French monarchy was trying to establish their land as the "new Jerusalem," and to fulfill this mission attempted several crusades to Israel. In 1615, King Louis XIII ordered that Christians were forbidden to speak with Jews, upon penalty of death. Eventually, in 1683, King Louis XIV expelled the Jews from the colony of Martinique.

Focus on what you do want. Make your goal explicit. “My goal is to increase my moments of joy.” This way, every single moment of joy is a successful moment.

Celebrate each moment of joy. Be grateful every time you experience joy.

Having this goal will place your attention on joy. Instead of feeling bad when you are not joyful, you will experience positive feelings about experiencing more joy.

Each moment of joy in your entire life is experienced one moment at a time. You can’t have more than one moment of joy in any given moment, but you can increase the number of joyful moments. How? By focusing on it.

There is no person on earth so righteous, who does only good and does not sin (Ecclesiastes 7:20).

Reading the suggestions for ridding oneself of character defects, someone might say, "These are all very helpful for someone who has character defects, but I do not see anything about myself that is defective."

In the above-cited verse, Solomon states what we should all know: no one is perfect. People who cannot easily find imperfections within themselves must have a perception so grossly distorted that they may not even be aware of major defects. By analogy, if a person cannot hear anything, it is not that the whole world has become absolutely silent, but that he or she has lost all sense of hearing and may thus not be able to hear even the loudest thunder.

In his monumental work, Duties of the Heart, Rabbeinu Bachaye quotes a wise man who told his disciples, "If you do not find defects within yourself, I am afraid you have the greatest defect of all: vanity." In other words, people who see everything from an "I am great/right" perspective will of course believe that they do no wrong.

When people can see no faults in themselves, it is generally because they feel so inadequate that the awareness of any personal defects would be devastating. Ironically, vanity is a defense against low self-esteem. If we accept ourselves as fallible human beings and also have a sense of self-worth, we can become even better than we are.

Today I shall...

be aware that if I do not find things within myself to correct, it may be because I am threatened by such discoveries.

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